Bison released on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, 2017: photo credit, Alexis Bonogfsky.

In mid-January, a containment fence was illegally cut on Yellowstone National Park’s Stephens Creek Quarantine Facility, allowing more than 50 bison to escape. Approximately half of the bison being held were slated for relocation to the Fort Peck Tribes’ bison program as part of an effort to relocate genetically-pure, brucellosis-free Yellowstone bison to tribal lands as an alternative to the annual practice of culling the herd by shipment to slaughter.

This illegal bison release highlights a decades-long conflict over how bison are managed in Yellowstone National Park. The current policy focuses on shipment of bison to slaughter each winter as a means of population management. The Fort Peck Tribes and other tribal governments have offered to quarantine and relocate these bison to tribal lands for cultural and conservation purposes. An efficient bison translocation program to transport brucellosis-free bison to tribal and other lands rather than to slaughter is desperately needed to reduce conflict at Yellowstone and to restore our national mammal to parts of its historic range. While Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Park officials have opened a criminal investigation into the illegal release, the buffalo meant for Fort Peck will not be able to be rounded up again and under current management policies could be subject to slaughter if they wander outside the Park.

Bison at Yellowstone National Park. Photo Credit: Garrit Voggesser

“The Fort Peck Tribes are committed to restoring Yellowstone buffalo to additional places where they once roamed,” said Fort Peck Tribal Chairman Floyd Azure. “We have built a quarantine and relocation facility on our lands for Yellowstone buffalo and have provided a place for our growing cultural herd. It’s time for Governor Bullock, Secretary Zinke and Secretary Perdue to implement our common-sense plan and help end the controversial and needless Yellowstone bison slaughter.”

Bisonconservation is complex, frustrating, and slow work. Progress is measured in incremental gains and by building trust between ranchers, conservationists, tribal governments and state and federal partners. That work was brought to an unexpected halt with the illegal release of the bison from Stephens Creek.

While there is no excuse for the vandalism of the Stephens Creek fences, this illegal action calls into question the process by which we decide which bison go to slaughter, to tribes, to public land or to other conservation herds. The incident at Stephens Creek shows that a secure, dedicated facility and an expedited process are needed to certify bison as disease-free for relocation to places working to establish new conservation herds. With any bison leaving the Greater Yellowstone Area, there is a process that is required by state and federal agencies. This is so the disease brucellosis, which can be spread between wildlife and domestic cattle, does not leave the Yellowstone area where it is currently contained.

Bison on the Wind River Reservation. Photo by Alexis Bonogofsky.

The National Wildlife Federation encourages the Department of Interior to identify ways to implement better quarantine protocols and expedite the testing and relocation of disease-free bison to willing tribal and public lands both in Montana and elsewhere. The greatest progress over the last 20 years has been accomplished by Native Americans whom have brought bison back to the Fort Peck, Fort Belknap and the Blackfeet Reservations in Montana and on other tribal lands around the West.

We’ve seen good progress in the last few years with increased tolerance for bison outside of Yellowstone National Park. Beyond a few instances of incremental progress, finding new places to put bison other than tribal ground remains elusive.

It is time to look at increased efficiency in moving disease-free bison to places where they can thrive. It is time to look at other places that make sense for bison conservation on public lands, with the appropriate safeguards for livestock producers and private property owners. It is time for both the state of Montana and the federal government to find a path forward on bison that honors tribal commitments, and state trust responsibilities to conserve valued species.

Photo Matt Dirksen/NWF.

More than 100 years ago, Theodore Roosevelt catalyzed efforts to save bison from extinction and issued the first call for conserving this native species. The time is now to move forward judiciously and incorporate the best science, safeguards for private property and opportunities to increase the number of wild bison in the United States. Solving the quarantine bottleneck is a significant step in this process and is supported by the vast majority of stakeholders as we look to other ways to conserve our national mammal. The National Wildlife Federation stands ready to assist state and federal officials to find that common sense path forward in finishing the job that Theodore Roosevelt started.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2018/02/need-for-increased-bison-conservation/feed/0133055Grizzlies Adapt to a Changing Environment and Prosper!http://blog.nwf.org/2017/07/grizzlies-adapt-to-a-changing-environment-and-prosper/
http://blog.nwf.org/2017/07/grizzlies-adapt-to-a-changing-environment-and-prosper/#commentsTue, 04 Jul 2017 13:00:13 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=129341Forty-two years after grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem were listed under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has decided that the Yellowstone grizzly population has grown to the point that federal protections are no longer needed and that future bear management should be led by the states of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

The decision by USFWS represents success at many levels.

First, the Endangered Species Act has worked exactly as its authors intended. The ESA is built on a framework that calls for federal protection of imperiled wildlife but only until populations recover. Once recovery occurs, management is passed on the states and their fish and wildlife agencies while federal resources continue to be focused on other threatened and endangered wildlife. Grizzly delisting means the Yellowstone population has grown steadily for years and has achieved biologically established goals for both population numbers and distribution across the ecosystem.

Grizzly Sow Nursing Young in Yellowstone photo by Jim Peaco

Second, the delisting of Yellowstone grizzlies is only occurring because over 42 years bear managers and researchers have built one successful program that has protected both bears and their habitats and another that has studied and evaluated the Yellowstone population to determine how bears are responding. Through these efforts we know the bear population has both grown substantially in numbers even as the range of grizzlies has expanded far beyond the borders of Yellowstone National Park. Even as bears are delisted, the partnership between researchers and managers will continue so that our knowledge of grizzlies will grow and our management can be further refined.

Third, the cooperation between agencies has been matched by the contributions of many non-governmental organization and individuals. Through an incentive program, the National Wildlife Federation has reduced conflicts between livestock grazing and grizzlies on over one million acres. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition and Defenders of Wildlife have made significant contributions cleaning up campgrounds and bear-proofing agricultural operations. Local landowner groups, individual ranchers and many other organizations have also contributed. Along with research and management initiatives by the agencies, this work will continue even as delisting occurs.

Grizzly and Bison in Yellowstone photo by Jim Peaco

Finally, no list of success stories would be complete without a nod to Ursus arctos horribilis. While managers planned, scientists studied and people watched, grizzlies have adapted to a changing environment and prospered. Cut off from garbage and other sources of human food, grizzlies have shifted and expanded their diet to include elk calves and carrion, wandered up talus slopes to consume cutworm moths and occupied territories from which they had been absent for decades. Numbers of females with cubs, the most crucial reproductive segment of the population, have grown substantially over the last 30 years and all indications are that grizzlies now occupy most suitable habitat the Greater Yellowstone.

Bears are remarkable animals in many ways, not the least which is an ability to accommodate tourists, hikers, big game hunters, snowmobilers and a growing human population in much of the Greater Yellowstone.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2017/07/grizzlies-adapt-to-a-changing-environment-and-prosper/feed/11293411.1 Million Acres Adopted for Wildlife, What’s Next?http://blog.nwf.org/2017/05/1-1-million-acres-adopted-for-wildlife-whats-next/
http://blog.nwf.org/2017/05/1-1-million-acres-adopted-for-wildlife-whats-next/#respondFri, 19 May 2017 19:00:15 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=127993Over the past fifteen years, the National Wildlife Federation has worked to eliminate conflict between wildlife and livestock on public lands- primarily those located within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, including Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. We do this by cooperating with public land managers and conservation partners to identify and retire grazing allotments that experience chronic conflict with wildlife—a wholly voluntary market-based transaction with willing ranchers.

To date, through our Adopt a Wildlife Acre program, we’ve protected over 1.1 million acres of habitat on public lands for bison, bighorn sheep, wolves, grizzly bears, elk and native fisheries. These grazing retirements have helped wolf and grizzly bear populations to recover across the northern Rockies and bighorn sheep and bison to roam freely without livestock conflict.

Watch the video below about an incredibly important area just protected in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, home to the largest herd of bighorn sheep in Idaho.

While we have plenty of important work remaining in the Yellowstone ecosystem, we believe it is more important than ever to expand the program to other areas of the west where wildlife and traditional livestock grazing continue to be at odds.

Adopting Acres for Wildlife in Colorado and Nevada

The official state animal of Colorado, the iconic bighorn has dwindled to less than 8,000 and is under continuous threat of disease. Separation between wild bighorns and their domestic counterparts is the key to security and to their success.

We recently completed a Colorado bighorn sheep assessment that confirms bighorn populations face a high risk of disease: our research documented over 90 federal domestic sheep grazing allotments that overlap with occupied bighorn sheep habitat. We are confident that targeted negotiations with local sheep producers will support substantial recovery and protection of Colorado’s bighorn population over the next decade.

Our vision is to restore bighorn populations in Colorado over the next 10 years by eliminating major risk areas on public lands.

In Nevada, bighorn populations have faced a tumultuous past and with over 80% of the state in public land. We see tremendous opportunity to expand our efforts to not only secure Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep populations, but California bighorn and desert bighorn populations as well. Drought, invasive weeds, fire and expanding domestic livestock operations have put wild sheep populations in a precarious balance. By targeting specific conflict areas, our proven approach will can give Nevada bighorns a fighting chance.

In a time when wildlife is facing increased threats of development, disease and habitat loss, it’s more important than ever to expand our work and increase our efforts. We thank you for your continued support of the National Wildlife Federation’s Adopt a Wildlife Acre program.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2017/05/1-1-million-acres-adopted-for-wildlife-whats-next/feed/0127993Wallowing in Politicshttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/12/wallowing-in-politics/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/12/wallowing-in-politics/#respondSun, 18 Dec 2016 12:30:24 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=125228The largest herd of wild bison left in the world consists of the 5,000 living in Yellowstone National Park. Incredibly, every winter, many of the Yellowstone bison are needlessly captured and sent to slaughter. But right now, 40 captured bison from the Yellowstone herd could be spared—by moving them to tribal lands where they can roam freely on thousands of acres of native grassland habitat.

In January 2016, the National Park Service released an environmental assessment for a new quarantine option that would place Yellowstone bison on the Fort Peck Reservation in northeastern Montana rather than ship them to slaughter. Yet, all these months later, the Park Service still has not issued a final decision on quarantine and relocation.

Why? Politics, plain and simple.

In the late 1990s, tribes, the National Wildlife Federation, and conservation partners proposed a solution to end the capture and slaughter of bison just outside of Yellowstone because of fears they would spread the disease brucellosis to livestock. It made much more sense, we suggested, to move healthy wild bison to new habitats. Why not have these exceptionally unique bison be the start of new herds by returning them to their historic tribal homelands? Yellowstone could and should be the source for bringing bison back across the West.

We proposed the quarantine of Yellowstone bison. It was a scientifically sound wildlife management proposal to certify bison as disease-free and bring them back to their rightful place on the plains. It would take an agonizingly long 12 years to make that a reality and, in the meantime, thousands of bison were sent to the slaughterhouse.

Between 2012 and 2014, nearly 200 Yellowstone bison were successfully restored to the Fort Peck Reservation without a hitch. The fears of bison disease, of buffalo escapes, of buffalo eating grass “meant for cows” were all proven unfounded. Quarantine and relocation worked. Yet, here we are today, stuck once in again in bureaucratic limbo.

Since last spring, after the release of the Yellowstone proposal to transfer bison to Fort Peck, forty bison have been held in a corral just outside Yellowstone, awaiting a decision from the Park Service to move forward. Those animals have tested negative for brucellosis at least seven times. And, despite more than 300,000 supportive public comments for the proposal, the Park Service continues to drag their feet.

Last February, I wrote about the irony of brucellosis being a disease that did not exist in wild bison herds until cattle transmitted it to them. Because of that absurdity, we have had to quell fears of bison transmitting brucellosis to domestic cows by quarantining wild bison. We made that compromise because we believe it is vital to restore bison throughout the West.

It is time to stop twiddling thumbs, because killing time based on false fears and politics means that more bison will be uselessly killed. Take action to help save 40 Yellowstone bison, and many more, by urging Yellowstone Park officials to approve the plan for moving bison to the Fort Peck Reservation.

Next time you take a step outside, pause and listen. If you take a moment, you may hear the singing of songbirds, barks of foxes, chatter of squirrels – wildlife are all around us, calling to one another.

Depending where you are located, you’re more likely to hear the call of certain animals. Out west, for instance, you can find a wide array of wildlife whose calls make up the natural sounds of the prairie, forests, and grasslands. The National Wildlife Federation is helping conserve these important wild places through our Adopt-a-Wildlife-Acre program which seeks to give wildlife more room to roam throughout the Northern Rockies and Yellowstone National Park.

In support of NWF’s Adopt-a-Wildlife-Acre program, Animal Planet’s ROAR campaign is highlighting the National Wildlife Federation and other non-profits dedicated to improving the lives of animals in our communities and in the wild.

Let’s see where you can hear some “roaring” wildlife:

Bobcat

Inhabiting a large portion of North America, bobcats are the most common wildcat found in the United States. Bobcats make distinctive noises that include a mixture of growling, snarling and hissing. You’re most likely to hear a bobcat call during their mating and breeding season which typically lasts from February to May.

Red Fox

What does the fox say? Well, a red fox usually can be heard barking to communicate. Scientists believe each fox has a unique bark, although to us their barks mostly all sound like a shrill dog bark. Since red foxes have adapted well to suburban and rural communities, people can find them and hear them throughout most of the United States. Towards the end of winter and spring, female foxes or vixens are known for being able to make the loudest calls signaling to males that they are ready to breed.

Sandhill Crane

A greater sandhill crane feeds in the wetlands at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by USFWS

Although known more for their courting dance moves, sandhill cranes also make interesting and distinctive loud calls. Both the males and females make a rattling “kar-r-r-r- o-o-o” sound which can resemble a trumpeting sound. The call varies in length, strength and loudness depending on the bird’s intention. The loudest and most noticeable call is during the mating season when males and females will sing loudly and in unison. Wildlife seekers can find sandhill cranes in different places depending on the season. The birds winter in the south, migrate through the mid-west of the United States, and spend summers at their breeding grounds in the north and Canada.

Bison

Bison in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Abby Barber/ NWF

As the largest terrestrial animal in North America, bison are known for making loud grunting noises to communicate with one another. They can also growl and snort. Before human intervention, bison once ranged over much of North America, including central Canada and most of the interior U.S. Today, bison are only wild in national parks, state parks and reserves.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/09/hear-wildlife-roar/feed/0122554Climate Change Threatens Yellowstone Riverhttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/08/climate-change-threatens-yellowstone-river/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/08/climate-change-threatens-yellowstone-river/#respondThu, 25 Aug 2016 13:31:52 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=122206The recent massive die-off of fish in the Yellowstone River has led Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to abruptly end the fishing season and close the river and its tributaries within state boundaries. These measures were taken when over 2,000 dead mountain whitefish were discovered floating in the famous river. With the river closure, more than 183 miles of waterways are now off-limits to all water recreation activities.

Studies show that the cause of the fish mortality is kidney disease triggered by a parasite. The unprecedented nature of this case is the result of low water levels and warm water temperatures – impacts that are worsened by a changing climate. While only 2,000 dead fish have been found, park staff estimate that tens of thousands of whitefish have been killed. There is also concern that the parasite may be spreading to other fish species, such as rainbow trout and the already climate-impacted Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Montana’s outdoor recreation economy generates $2 billion annually in retail sales and services across Montana, supports 34,000 jobs across the state, and generates $118 million in annual state tax revenue, according to surveys conducted by the Outdoor Industry Association. Much of the state’s outdoor economy depends on the angling season, with Yellowstone River being a big draw. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that each year 570,000 people participate in wildlife-related recreation in Montana, and of these, 267,000 fish.

Yellowstone River. Photo from BLM

The fish kill in Montana seems especially foreboding with the centennial celebration of the National Park Service this week. As the first National Park, Yellowstone has long been held up as an ideal of the wild unspoiled west. A 2013 National Park Service survey shows that the 3.2 million visitors to Yellowstone National Park spent almost $382 million in surrounding communities and supported 5,300 jobs.

Since no dead fish have been found in the park yet, the park’s rivers remains open. Nevertheless, the Yellowstone River fish die-off exemplifies how climate change poses a very real threat to these valuable public lands. It is critical that congress act to protect them now.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/08/climate-change-threatens-yellowstone-river/feed/0122206Bringing Tribes Back to National Parkshttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/08/bringing-tribes-back-to-national-parks/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/08/bringing-tribes-back-to-national-parks/#respondWed, 24 Aug 2016 16:00:16 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=122173On August 25th, the National Park Service commemorates its 100th birthday. It is a time for celebration, a time for reflection, and time to look to the future. It is also a time for deeper consideration of the connection between Native Americans and the National Parks.

Lands such as Yellowstone National Park were tribal homelands for millennia. Photo by Abby Barber/ NWF

Native peoples have deep ties to our greatest known parks – Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Olympic, Mesa Verde, Everglades – and many, many others. Indeed, it must be acknowledged that the federal government created many of our parks by removing tribes from their ancestral territories and pushing them onto much smaller reservations. Today, this is made most apparent by the fact that many national parks such as the Grand Canyon are on national public land adjacent to tribal reservations. Tribes utilized these ancestral lands for seasonal homes, subsistence hunting and gathering, and cultural purposes.

Currently, many of our national parks are marked by the historic presence of Native Americans, from origin stories to literal markings – petroglyphs and park names such as Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone, Two Medicine in Glacier, Tuckup Trail in Grand Canyon, Tenaya Lake in Yosemite and the newly-renamed Mount Denali in Denali National Park in Alaska to mention a few.

Coalition to Improve Tribal Connection

What are we to make of this tribal connection to parks as we celebrate the Park Service centennial? Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis has said the centennial goal is “to create the next generation of visitors, supporters, and advocates for our national parks and our public lands.” Achieving this goal will be vital in protecting the historic, cultural, natural, spiritual, economic and recreational resources that our national public lands currently provide and creating opportunities to identify and conserve other valuable resources for our children and future generations.

A Morning Council on the Merced, Yosemite. Photo by NPS

The Next 100 Coalition, including the National Wildlife Federation, is a first-of-its-kind group of diverse leaders from civil rights, environmental justice, conservation and community organizations that has come together to develop a vision and policy recommendations for a more inclusive system of national parks and other public lands. Their work includes establishing steps to honor and recognize the historic and cultural connection of tribes to national public lands.

President Obama has already shown great leadership recognizing the history of Native Americans and other diverse populations by designating places such as Chimney Rock National Monument in Colorado, the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains National Monuments in California, and the Rio Grande and Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monuments in New Mexico, all of which were supported by tribes. The Administration too, acted on one of the Next 100 Coalition’s recommendations when the Park Service released its final rule on the “Gathering of Certain Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional Purposes,” recognizing the significance of many national parks as places for traditional gathering of plants and authorizing tribes to resume these traditions.

Some of the coalition’s policy recommendations to better recognize the history and heritage of Native Americans and engage them in the national public lands management process include:

Chief Lemee Dancing, Yosemite. Photo by NPS

Drawing upon Native American knowledge, traditions, values, and attitudes toward the Earth as guidance for how federal land managers might interpret natural and cultural resources on public lands for the public.

Enlisting tribes in the interpretation or protection of key tribal resources in national parks and other public lands, and using Native stories and languages in interpretation where appropriate.

Removing unnecessary barriers in tribal relations with agencies.

It’s time to take a hard look at how we go about achieving the goal Director Jarvis lays out, especially in how we engage culturally-diverse communities to shape the direction of conservation and public land policies for the future. A new vision needs to be created and implemented for the next century of conservation that focuses on the importance of national parks and other public lands for all people.

Going forward, President Obama should build on this legacy of inclusion by issuing a Presidential Memorandum that directs federal land management agencies to engage, reflect and honor all families in our system of public lands for the next 100 years of conservation in this nation.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/08/bringing-tribes-back-to-national-parks/feed/0122173Fight Over Yellowstone Grizzlieshttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/07/fight-over-yellowstone-grizzlies/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/07/fight-over-yellowstone-grizzlies/#respondFri, 15 Jul 2016 15:11:38 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=120949Restoring grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park is one of the greatest wildlife conservation successes of modern times. And what a stunning success it is!

A generation ago, Yellowstone grizzlies seemed on a path toward extinction, with the number of bears in and around the park estimated at fewer than 200 and declining. Today, with more than 700 grizzlies, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is at or near carrying capacity for these magnificent animals, and we’re seeing grizzlies dispersing beyond Yellowstone to habitat where they haven’t been seen for decades.

All of the goals set for grizzly restoration in terms of numbers, population demographics and distribution have been met or exceeded.

Mission Accomplished?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stirred up intense controversy earlier this year when it proposed declaring “mission accomplished” and crossing Yellowstone grizzlies off the list of animals protected by the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The ESA employs extraordinary measures to protect and conserve threatened and endangered species. To keep efforts moving, it makes sense to reduce conservation measures for recovering species so that we can focus on other imperiled wildlife in our country. But the proposal to “delist” Yellowstone grizzlies is controversial.

Some people don’t believe Yellowstone’s great bears are doing all that well. That’s a debatable, yet valid concern. Others, and this includes the National Wildlife Federation, acknowledge and celebrate the successful restoration of grizzlies, support delisting in concept, but have concerns about some of the nitty-gritty details involved in delisting. For us, it’s not whether grizzlies should be delisted but how. The “how” will determine the success of grizzly conservation from here on out.

Still other opposition boils down to trust – or the lack of it. Many people and organizations simply mistrust state agencies with the future of a once-imperiled species. States, of course, have primary jurisdiction in managing native wildlife. When a species is listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assumes primary authority over that species. When a species is delisted, the authority returns to the state or states.

Three states have a hand in managing Yellowstone-area grizzlies: Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

Any fair assessment of the three wildlife-abundant states must acknowledge that they do a good job managing wild animals. Good but not perfect: Wyoming and Idaho have been less than hospitable to wolves, for example, and Montana has only recently stepped back from a decades-long war against bison. Overall, though, wildlife is plentiful and diverse in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, and that’s no accident.

Hunting Dominates Discussion

The trust issue looms large in Yellowstone grizzly delisting, largely because of one issue: hunting.

Grizzly bear. Photo by Karen Rode, National Wildlife Photo Contest

Many wildlife advocates oppose grizzly hunting, period. Some are aghast at the prospect of opening hunting seasons on bears that spend part of their time in the National Park – where hunting is prohibited, but could become fair game if they step across an invisible boundary. Implicit in this opposition is a lack of trust that the states would adequately protect and conserve grizzlies. The hunting issue has become the most controversial aspect of Yellowstone grizzly delisting.

The issue was teed up late last year when Montana, Wyoming and Idaho wildlife authorities drafted an agreement outlining how much “discretionary mortality” of grizzlies could occur in the respective states following delisting. “Discretionary mortality” is defined as the amount of human-caused grizzly bear mortality over which agencies have discretionary authority, such as management removals and regulated harvest (hunting). Critics interpreted that agreement as eagerness to begin hunting grizzlies around Yellowstone as soon as possible.

Because overhunting could again threaten grizzly bears, the USFWS wanted the states to detail and commit to hunting regulations that would ensure against this. The ESA requires “adequate regulatory mechanisms” be in place to ensure the long-term survival of species before they can be delisted – another example of the trust issue that’s written into the law.

Montana, Wyoming and Idaho are now moving ahead with their grizzly hunting regulations. In doing so, they have greatly inflamed public concern about hunting Yellowstone grizzlies – and galvanized opposition to delisting.

States vs. USFWS

An interesting wrinkle is that the three states don’t want to establish grizzly-hunting seasons right now.

In a May 9 letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the heads of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho wildlife agencies complained that the government’s delisting proposal “appears to assume that all three states will establish (grizzly) hunting seasons. This assumption is premature, unnecessary and inappropriate.”

The state wildlife officials contend hunting is a management option the states may or may not consider after delisting, and that it should not be a condition of delisting.

Through all of this runs the matter of trust.

Look at how the states successfully manage wildlife in general, and you might find reason to trust they will do right by Yellowstone grizzlies. Look at how they have managed certain species, including wolves and bison, and you might be less than trusting. The ESA, for its part, suggests a trust-but-verify approach, anticipating a full handover of authority to the states but only with “adequate regulatory mechanisms” in place. For their part, the states are leery about the federal government overstepping its authority and interfering with states’ rights.

What’s Next

How will all this work out? It’s hard to say at this point. The comment period on the draft delisting rule ended in May, and another comment period on the next phase will likely be this fall at the earliest.

One prediction is that sooner or later, Yellowstone grizzlies will be delisted. Reaching this point, however, will take a lot of trust and a lot of work. But, grizzlies are worth the effort!

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/07/fight-over-yellowstone-grizzlies/feed/0120949Wildlife that Depend on Wild Bisonhttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/06/wildlife-that-depend-on-wild-bison/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/06/wildlife-that-depend-on-wild-bison/#respondFri, 10 Jun 2016 16:51:40 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=120277Bison are the national mammal of the United States and rightfully so. Their presence on the prairie is key to restoring and balancing these irreplaceable grassland ecosystems.

When bison roam the prairie, multiple species benefit in surprising ways. Learn about some of the species that are better off with bison:

Prairie dogs

When bison graze, they leave behind ideal habitat for prairie dogs. The black-tailed prairie dogs, for example, prefer using heavily grazed area for habitat.

As a keystone species, prairie dogs support multiple other species and the ecosystem. They are a food source for predators such as coyotes, eagles, and the endangered black-footed ferret. Abandoned prairie dog burrows are perfect places for burrowing owls to lay their eggs and raise their young.

Native Plants

Did you know that bison help plants grow and disperse? Seeds get caught in their fur and are distributed throughout the prairies where they roam. Bison’s waste also spreads seeds, in addition to delivering vital nutrients to plants. Furthermore, bison’s hooves plant seeds in the soil while leaving divots that hold moisture.

Bison create new areas for plants by rolling around or “wallowing” in the prairie, making shallow depressions in the soil. Photo from NPS

Pronghorn

In the winter, bison make it possible for species like pronghorn to thrive. Pronghorn are unable to dig through the snow to find food, so they have a difficult time surviving the long hard prairie winters. But, bison use their massive heads to push the snow out of the way, exposing grass and other vegetation to eat.

During the winter, pronghorn are able to eat in the places that the bison have uncovered.

Grassland Birds

Grassland birds such as sharp-tailed grouse and burrowing owls depend on bison to create a variety of habitat in the prairie through their wallowing and grazing. Magpies even ride on bison to feed on insects in their fur.

Because bison graze in varying amounts across the grasslands, an array of habitat is generated that attract different bird species.

Prairie wildlife depend on bison returning to their native habitat. Yet today, there are only three free-ranging bison herds in the United States.

In April, wild bison were granted more room to roam around Yellowstone National Park by Montana Gov. Steve Bullock. This is the first time in 30 years that bison can migrate safely outside the park, and it is thanks to the help of the National Wildlife Federation supporters like you.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/06/wildlife-that-depend-on-wild-bison/feed/0120277Five Places to Watch Wild Bison Roamhttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/05/five-places-to-watch-wild-bison-roam/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/05/five-places-to-watch-wild-bison-roam/#commentsFri, 20 May 2016 12:20:39 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=119700Few experiences are more awe-inspiring than seeing American bison in the wild. Bison are the largest land mammal in North America, weighing up to 2,000 pounds, and it is truly a magnificent sight to watch a thundering herd crossing the grass-filled plain or a baby bison grazing alongside its mother.

Our wildlife experts are keeping close tabs on wild bison populations. Here they share their picks for the best places to watch wild bison this summer!

Yellowstone National Park

A massive bison bull surveys the herd from a ridge in Yellowstone’s Hayden Valley. Photo by National Wildlife photo contest entrant Sandi Sisti.

Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where wild bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. These bison are genetically pure – not bred with livestock – and are the descendants of only 100 or so bison that remained in the 1880’s after decades of slaughter brought the species to the brink of extinction.

Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana

Wild bison a year after they moved from Yellowstone National Park to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. Photo by Alexis Bonogofsky.

Fort Peck is home to the Assiniboine and Sioux, tribes with a long cultural and ecological connection to bison. The tribes welcomed bison back to these lands in 2012 after a century of absence. Now numbering 250 and roaming the windswept hills of the tribal lands, Fort Peck bison are also descendants of the genetically pure Yellowstone bison.

Henry Mountains and Book Cliffs, Utah

The Henry Mountains herd is one of only a few free roaming, genetically pure herds remaining on public lands in North America. Photo by Gerald Cook, Bureau of Land Management.

The Henry Mountain bison herd roams over 300,000 acres of steep mountain slopes, foothills, flat mesas and deeply eroded canyons in southern Utah. In 1941, the Carbon Emery Wildlife Federation, the Utah State Department of Fish and Game and the National Park Service transferred three bulls and 15 cows from Yellowstone. Today the herd is approximately 340 adults and calves.

The Ute Indian Tribe reintroduced bison near Book Cliffs where today you might see this wild herd as they make their way in the desert mountains, canyons and along the sandstone buttes of this remote wilderness. Find out about travel to Utah for bison-watching.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge

Located just 8 miles from downtown Denver, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a 15,000-acre expanse of prairie, wetland and woodland habitat. It’s one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the nation and last year more than 330,000 people came out to catch a glimpse of the herd of 87 wild bison who live there! This year, the area for bison to roam will be expanded so you may be able to see them from the road to Denver International Airport. Get more information to plan a visit and see the bison at Rocky Mountain Arsenal.

Delta Junction, Alaska

Bison. Photo by William Labbe’

Surprised that wild bison roam Alaska? Scientists believe bison were once the most common land mammal in the state, but disappeared about 500 years ago. A small herd was transferred from Montana in 1923 to Delta Junction, and has grown to about 400 free-ranging bison today. The wild bison herd is frequently visible throughout the summer at an overlook near the Black Rapids overlook at Milepost 225.4 on Alaska’s Richardson Highway. See about taking a trip to the official end of the Alaska Highway to watch wild bison.